Gasoline-level gauge



Oct. 20, 1925- GASOLINE LEVEL GAUGE 7 Filed Oct. 24, 1923 v 7 FM. :1. l

11v KENTOR E F fi-NfU/fill 1,557,867 F. B. NEWELL Patented Oct. 20, 1925:

4 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE. '1

Horn :3. NEWELL, or narrow, omo.

GASOLINE-LEVEL eaves.

-App1ication;fl1ed October-24,1928. Serial no. 570,;01.

. Gauges, of which the following is a, specito provide a fication. 4 I

This invention relates to gauges generally but is more particularly concerned with a gauge for indicating the level of gasoline or the like in tanks, the gauge being capable of settings to adapt the sameto use withtanks of different capacities.

The principal object of the invention is gauge of a generally standard construction, ut aving gears or any other means of mechanical connection for the index member of the gauge which can be chan ed to different settings with very little dlfliculty to vary the amount of movement of the index 'member incident to a given change in] level of the gasoline, so

that the gauge when properly set'will indicate accurately the change in level in different sized tanks.

Referring to the drawing, wherein is illustrated a gauge embodyin my invention,

Fig. 1 'is a central vertica sectionof the gauge, the mechanism inside being shown in elevation.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the inside of the auge, the cap, dial and index hand having 11 removed to disclose the interior of the gauge.

Fi 3 is a frat entary enlarged sectional detai of-the in ex hand-carrying gear and the central stationary planetary gears with which ,the same cooperates in the operation of the gau The same reference numerals are applied tothe same parts in the three views. v

The gaugeis generally of a standard well known construction comprising a casing 10 having a threaded neck -11 for connection with a gasoline tank or the like, it being customary in airplane practice to carry the gauge directly upon the tank; The casing is open 'at the front and has a threaded cap 12 with a sight glass 13 therein to close the same. Throu h the glass 13 may be seen the dial 14v w1th respect to which an index hand 15 moves from a full point to an empty..point, past suitable intermediate indicia as 'and indicating the amount of fuel in the tank;

The index hand. is operated by a float (not shown) on the end of a cord16 as the float is raised .or lowered .in the filling or emptying of the tank. The cordlfi passes over an anti-friction roller in the neck 11 and winds on a drum '17 inside the casing.

The drum is rotatably mounted onthe shank 18 of'a small -gear'19,.which is one of a plurality of planetarygearsto be presently described. i x

The shank 18threadsinto the rear wall of the casing 10as shown. The d 1'11m17v is normally constrained to-turnandwind up the cord 16 by a light torsion spring 20, which has one 'end fast to the drumas at 21 and 1s rigidl' secured to the casing 10 at its other end y a post 22, threaded nto I the rear wallof the casing as shown;

The spring 20jhas Y only suflicient tension,

it is'understood, to turn and take up the slack in the cord 16 as the float is raised in the filling of the tank and is light enou h to allow the cord- 17 to be paid out as the float drops lower and lower as the fuel in the tank is consumed; The structure thus far described will; be recognized to be t standard and well I known construction. No invention is, of course,- claimed therein except novel com only) in so far as it contributes .to. the I ination' to .be' s'etforth further hereinafter. Y

The gear 19- 'has coaxial and with i it anothersmaller ar 23,- the shank'24 of which has a ress t in arecess extending into the shan 18 of the gear 19. The gear.

23 and its shank are centrally bored. to rotatably receive a spindle 25 having the index hand 15 on its outer end. The s indle 1 25 hasv a press fit in a gear 26 coaxia with and slightly lar Mounted on t ev disc 17 are three double 05' r than the gears 19 'and23.

. planetary gear sets comprising small gears 4 27 and '28-, intermediate sized gears 29 and I 30, and largegears '31 and 32, the several sets ,of ,two each being, rigid and mounted rotatably on studs '33, 34 and 35, respectively. Each of the studs is' arranged to".

occupy either .of two positions threaded in either of two openings provided therefor in the drum 17, in one of which positions'the gears carried thereby are in inoperative position out of mesh with an of the central gears 19, 23. and 26, while in the other 0 '110 sition the are are in mesh to operate the index han 15 in the rotation ofthe drum 17. Fig. 2, both studs 33 34 have and '32 in such rotation of the drum areturned about the stud as an axis by virtue of the meshing of gear 32 with the rigid ear 19. The gear 31 being smaller thant e gear 32 and meshing with the gear 26 turns the latter through a certain angularity as a result of the difi'erential.

These gears are adapted for use with rather small tanks where the float movement is sired to use the gauge on a larger tank, theslight, say up to 12 inches. When it is de stud 35 may be removed and threaded into an opening 38 farther removed from the gears 19, 23 and 26 to remove the gears 31 and 32 from operative engagement with the gears 19 and 26.

-- The gears 27 and 28, when the stud 33 isthreaded in opening 36 mesh with ears 26 j and 19, respectively, and operate ikewise as planetary gears in the turmng of the drum 17 to move the index hand 15. The

other sets of gears are of course in inoperative position when the gears 27 and 23 are placed in operative position. These gears are designed to be used when the gauge is fitted to a tank of an intermediate size where the float has a movement of say 12" to 36''.

The gears 29 and 30 are'similarly-pl'aced in mesh with gears 26 and 23 respectively, when the stud 34 is threaded in opening 37 the other sets of gears being of course out of mesh withthe central gears. These gears are designed to be used when the gauge is fitted to a tank of a large size where the float movement is say 36" to 54".

, The provision of the several sets of planetary gears circumferentially arranged on the drum 17 requires the making of lightening-holes 40 ad ac'en t the large gears 31 and 32 because of the greater weight of these gears than the other gears. The holes are so located as to balance the drum so that it will not operate unevenly and destroy. the accuracy of the gauge.

The invention although disclosed in connection with a specific type of gauge and utilizing one form of a variable mechanical connection, such as the change "gears illustrated, is not, of course, to he understood as limited 'to the particular kind of gauge shown nor to the particular change gearing.

I claim:-

1. The combination in agauge, of an index member, an actuated element, and variable'transmission for operatively connecting 'said lndex member and said actuated elea disc rotatable in the operation of said 7 gauge and planetary gears of dilferent sizes mounted on said disc to operate in circular orbits in the rotation of said disc and movable selectively into meshing engagement separately with said index gear.

4.- In a gauge comprising acasing,"a disc rotatable therein in the operation of said gauge, a central gear rigid in said casing, and an index hand-carrying gear coaxial with an rotatable relative to said first-men- .tionedgear, a plurality-of double planetary gears of different sizes movabl secured on said discrarranged. to be selectively meshed with each of said other gears to change the driving ratiobetween said disc and said index gear.

dexmember, an actuated member, and means providing a mechanical connection between said index member and said actu-- ated member to produce proportional movements of said index member with the move-- ments of said actuated member, said means.

being capable of setting to change the proportional movement of one member with 're-;

spect to the other. 6. The combination in a depth gauge of an index member, an actuated member mov able upon "the rise and fall of a float with 5. The combination in a, gauge, of an inthe level of a liquid in a tank and-change gears for operatively connecting said actuated member with said indexmember to be set'so that a given gmovement of said actu ated member produces different movements I of said index-member in different. sized tanksg 7. The combination in a gauge, of an in' dex member, a gear for operating thesame,

a disc rotatable in the operation of. said gauge and planetary gears of difierent sizes and weights mounted on said disc to operate 1 in said caslng, a pointer I mounted onthe fixed pinion mounting, a

- fixed pinion shank, and a plurality of groups ,of planetary H gears v adjustably mounted on said cable drum for meshing at will with said fixed pinion and said pointer pinion.

9. A fractional level indicating instrument for a' plurality of various sized tanks,"

eomprislng a casing, a fixed inion mounted 1n1on rotatably one of said sets of planetary gears being 15. v

adapted to mesh with the fixed and pointer pinions as desired. 7 J

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FLOYD B. NEWELL. 

